I was working through I Corinthians 13 and it occurred to me that if I really had agape I would not need to keep working on these as discipline; they would be automatic. As I moved to I Peter 3:8 where it talked about not returning evil for evil or insult for insult I asked myself, “If these are automatic then why are there so many lists of things for us to work on?”
One of the controversies in Christian circles is found in the tension between obedience and grace. Both are referred to regularly. It is obvious that both are expected. The Calvinist and Reformed camps focus on grace. The Wesleyan and Catholic traditions make it clear that obedience is also vital. Take it as a paradox or a mystery if you can’t work out the balance.
On the question of love it reinforces an observation I have made and I have heard others make that the agape love of the New Testament is not an emotion but a decision. Thus when Paul tells us that love is patient, kind and not jealous, those are decisions that are to be made by us on a daily basis. This applies to both our children and our enemies. When it comes to love, it is not pivotal how you feel but the decisions you make.
I personally would rather it was a magic pill that God would give us. Grace and regeneration can make it easier but they will not take the choices of free will out of our hands.
homo unius libri
Sunday, June 12, 2022
Opus 2022-173: More Than Not Saying You Are Sorry
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